Hornsey Parish Church 60/60 Community Engagement Report Executive Summary...

Naomi Ferguson, Victoria Maynard

Phase 2, 06.12.2017

Hornsey Parish Church 60/60

Community Engagement Report

Executive Summary

and Detailed Findings

Contents

pages

Executive summary 3-9

Strategy 4-5

Summary of findings :

Phase 1 6-7

Phase 2 8-9

Detailed Findings Phase 2 10-26

Stage 01: Project focus and name 11-17

Stage 02: Prioritizing and connecting spaces 18-21

Stage 03: Street fronts 22-25

Evaluation of proposals 26

Images 27

Detailed findings from phase 1 can be found at:

http://hornseyparishchurch.org/news-events/development-project/

Note: this report is optimized for screen viewing

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Hornsey Parish Church 60/60

Community Engagement

1. Executive summary

Strategy

The methods used were:

PHASE 1 Sept. 2017

• focus group discussions and structured interviews with regular users

• An open meeting for local residents and businesses with facililtated

feedback posters

• feedback posters for congregation members to use after services

PHASE 2 Oct. 2017

• A World Café style design workshop for regular users

PHASE 3 Nov. 2017 – Jan. 2018

• A public exhibition of preliminary proposals with facilitated feedback

posters

ALL PHASES

• Leaflets and posters about the project and events, coverage on the

existing HPC website, a dedicated project newsletter, coverage in the

parish newsletter and on social media, coverage in the local press.

The questions posed sought to :

PHASE 1 - understand:

• current users’ impressions of the site as it is

• their initial ideas of how it could be improved,

• ideas for new activities or facilities at Hornsey Parish Church

• Stakeholders’ initial hopes for and concerns about the project

PHASE 2

• draw out detailed information about how current users imagined the

spaces in the scheme should function and their relationships to each

other and to the street fronts

• explore their ideas of which spaces to prioritise and whether HPC

should focus on supporting a particular group/groups in the community

• introduce them to some of the trade-offs that arise in reconciling the

brief requirements and accompany them in envisaging change

PHASE 3

• what the community thought about the proposals

Why engage stakeholders? And how?

4

The purpose of the community engagement at Hornsey Parish Church (“HPC”) is to:

1. explain the need for the project “Hornsey Parish Church 60/60” and generate excitement about the opportunities it offers.

2. raise awareness of current and future community resources at HPC.

3. listen to the church community and local people, and demonstrate that their voices are welcome.

4. create the best design solution to meet the needs of the different stakeholders.

5. provide reassurance and allay fears.

6. meet the requirements of Haringey Council

Interest

Who was consulted?In

flu

en

ceH

igh

Low

HighLow

Congregation (detached)

Congregation (regulars)

• Emails, phone calls,

presentations and

meetings

Local schools• Project newsletters

• open meeting

Hall users

Children and

youth groups

PCC/ Standing Com.

• Focus groups / interviews

• Workshop

• Project newsletters

• Information and feedback

posters following church

services

• Focus groups

• Workshop



• Letters

• Meetings as appropriate

Haringey Council /

Local councillors

Archdeacon’s Office

Neighbours, businesses,

Residents Associations

St Mary’s Primary

Hornsey Historical Society

Neighbouring churches

Congregation (events)

Monument Conservationists

GLA

All stakeholders:• Exhibition of proposals

Coverage of project in/on:

• HPC web page

• Social media

• Parish newsletters

• Local press

...and how?

5

Summary Findings phase 1

6

The phase 1 activities reached a wide cross-section of current users

- congregation members and hirers of the community spaces - as

well as local residents, local businesses and the ward councillors, in

an intense series of activities on different days and of different

formats that were held between the 20th and 30th of September

2017. Respondents were overwhelmingly positive about the

opportunities presented by HPC 60/60, while they also recorded

their affection for many features of the existing site and facilities.

01: Comments about the existing siteWhat is it important to retain?

• The church building and chapels were shown to be highly valued

among all groups, with participants commenting on their beauty,

historical memory and the uplifting, peaceful atmosphere in

them all. The chapels were seen to complement the main body

of the church, offering spaces of different sizes more suitable for

smaller group worship, and higher comfort levels.

• The church room is heavily used by the congregation and is well-

loved as a space for social activities and hospitality. Its size,

location, kitchen facilities , warmth, and the beauty of the

Stationers’ window were noted as key features. The dance studio

is described as beautiful. The Garden is also appreciated,

although noted to be inaccessible and underused.

• Many features of the site were also highly valued by hirers:

- the location of HPC

- having on-site parking

- the size and robustness of the hall

- the accessibility of the hall for wheelchair users

-having a range of spaces of different sizes

-the dance studio- sprung floor, good size, good light

- affordable rents

Why make changes?

There was widespread consensus that HPC 60/60 represented an

exciting opportunity for HPC to make some very necessary

improvements. Specific drivers for change included:

• Building entrances

- trip hazards (steps / narrow staircases) and inaccessible to

wheelchair users (except for hall)

- no buffer zone between hall entrance and the car park

(dangerous for children)

- lack of control over people entering the site and buildings

• Need for useful lobby spaces in all the buildings

- waiting spaces, to manage flows in and out,

- for display

- buggy stores

• circulation across the site:

-Labyrinthine, difficult to navigate, lack of signage

-Spaces are disconnected, hence the hall does not ‘feel’ part of

the church

- inaccessible for wheelchairs and trolleys

- circulation between buildings is all external

• Insufficient storage in all areas

• Toilets and hall kitchen old, small, do not provide all the required

facilities (e.g. baby changing facilities, disabled access)

• Poor control of temperature and natural light throughout

• Auxiliary spaces in the church - vestry too small, new spaces

needed (private meeting rooms)

• The exterior of the site is uninviting, poorly lit and does not

express either the beauty of the interior or give an indication of

the activities happening on site.


7

02: Local needsLocal councillors and residents highlighted the potential for HPC to

become a community hub bringing people together across this

culturally and socially diverse area. The project was also seen as an

opportunity to address social problems caused by a lack of

affordable housing and cuts in the public provision of services

locally, especially for the elderly and young people.

• Current users commented that they did not feel well-informed on

local needs and that HPC should consult with external

community organisations to find out more.

• Among users and local residents, the groups most commented on

were

- teenagers / youth

- The homeless / precariously housed / first time buyers

- The elderly, especially those who are socially isolated

• Young children were also suggested although there were differing

opinions as to whether this group was already well-served locally.

• Other groups suggested included: local community organisations,

mental health and dementia sufferers, ethnic minorities

• The idea of including residential units was well received, both in

response to local need and as a logical way to finance the

project.

• Suggestions about future revenue sources included:

- Concert venue / exhibition spaces for local musicians and

artisans

- Improving the hall’s usefulness as a hireable party venue

- Potential of the site as a good wedding venue

• Creating a community hub: leisure, music and social activities for

all ages; a drop-in café

03: Hopes and concerns Participants were very positive about the potential of the project,

with hopes far outweighing concerns for both phases of the project.

Concerns about the construction phase included:

• Noise

• Disruption of activities on site and for residents

• Site traffic dangers

• Parking problems

Hopes for construction:

• Quick and well-managed

• Limited disruption

Concerns about the outcome of the project:

• Loss of community spaces

• Rents becoming unaffordable

• Greater demand for parking

Hopes for the project:

• That it will result in a more attractive and inviting site and buildings

• That the facilities will be better suited to the activities on site

• That HPC can become a community hub, reaching more people in

the community

• Improvements in accessibility, lighting and signage throughout

• The chance for an attractive, modern, eco building in keeping with

the architecture of the church

• A chance to provide affordable housing


8

Phase 2 consisted of a design workshop for current users run twice

on the 18th October 2017. Presented as an exercise in “blue sky

thinking”, participants took the opportunity to explore how they

currently use the site and how it could be re-imagined. Themes of

discussion that arose included how to make the different spaces on

site feel more connected; how to make the site more attractive and

welcoming; which of the activities should be expressed on the street

fronts and what image to convey; and how to make the facilities

relevant to the local community.

01: How would you make HPC unique?Who are you building for and what would you provide for them?

Having a target demographic for the facilities at HPC could help to

define more precisely what spaces are needed and with what

characteristics, to clarify a plan for revenue streams and to define a

“unique selling point”. Suggestions from the phase 2 activities

included:

• Having facilities for children, young people and the elderly on site

and fostering shared activities between the different age groups

• Renewing the Mission focus on children and young people with

the provision of a children’s sacred space, as well as a drop-in

centre with sofas, homework space and games

• Responding to the large number of creative professionals in the

local community by enhancing the church so that it can be used

as a performance space and also providing purpose-built

performance space in the community hall.

02a: Priority spacesWhat spaces to include?

Participants prioritized the following spaces, in this order:

1. a large community hall

2. 1 or 2 secondary halls/large rooms for church and community use

3. parish office

4. 1 or 2 meeting rooms for church use and (once) commercial use

5. A coffee point / lobby extension at the southern end of the

church to create a welcoming social space visible from the

exterior, perhaps serving additionally as a crèche or a dining space

for church lunches.

6. commercial units –for office or nursery tenants, retail or café

premises, a hot-desking hub or music rehearsal/recording rooms

7. Kitchens. kitchen facilities for the church: the importance of

having a dedicated kitchen for church use was identified to enable

church events, lunches and refreshments to take place when the

hall is hired out. Many schemes also included a catering kitchen

for the hall, to be hired out with it for events.

8. Specialized facilities:

• Children’s sacred space

• Drop-in centres for children / mental health sufferers

• Day-centre for elderly with dementia

• An informal, more accessible worship space

• Workshop for training young people in manual skills

• Music rehearsal/recording rooms for community use


9

02b: How to connect the spaces

• a central courtyard was a key feature of most of the schemes, with

the idea that it could be a peaceful space representing the

worshipping heart of the site and bringing together the users of the

site; enabling visual connections between the buildings to make

them appear connected, more inviting and the site more navigable.

• creating new church entrances was also a common feature of the

proposals: in the eastern wall – to bring activity to the central

courtyard after services and to increase the connection of the

church and community spaces; in the western wall – to add

functionality for church services and performances.

03: Street fronts

How to front Park Road was a key theme. Ideas included:

• creating a ‘busy’ facade by locating the hall and commercial

premises there . It was also considered useful for the commercial

premises (and in some cases the hall) to have direct, independent

access from Park Rd;

• Protecting the rest of the site from the noise of the road by locating

the more noise-tolerant functions there (hall, housing, commercial

/office premises);

• having a direct entrance into the central courtyard off Park Rd

• having sightlines to the church, and into the central courtyard from

Park Rd;

• locating church functions such as the parish office or a secondary,

more informal/social worship space close to Park Road to make the

church activity more visible.

Hornsey Parish Church

Community Engagement Phase 2

Detailed findings

This section details findings from the following events and activities:

Workshop for current users (lunchtime and evening sessions) 18-10-17

11

Participants were invited to

participate in a game in groups to

design a proposal for HPC 60/60. Each

group was given three instruction

cards, a blank site plan and a set of

cardboard boxes to represent the

different spaces they could choose to

include in their scheme. The church

had to be retained in its current

position but the rest was up to them.

Design workshops for current users

12

Stage 01: Project focus + name

13

project

TITLE :Meeting Point Lunch

target USER

GROUP(S) :

No single target group, retain

current focus of HPC

key

ACTIVITIES:

As at present

Key points:

• Making church activities visible

on the outside

• Connecting and unifying the

different spaces and activities on

the site

• Drawing people in and making

them feel loved


14

project

TITLE :Open Faith

target USER

GROUP(S) :

No single target group

key

ACTIVITIES:

Performance – Dance, music

and theatre

Key points:

• Making the most of key location

on the corner of Park Road

• Reaching out with a new

entrance on Park Rd

• Cloister

• State of the art performance

space

• Private garden at rear

• Additional church office space


project

TITLE :Let’s Front Park Road

target USER

GROUP(S) :

Elderly and Children

key

ACTIVITIES:

Focus on securing long-term

stable tenants on the Park

Road frontage

15

Key points:

• Bring church presence to the

most prominent part of site:

Park Road – busy road with busy

bus route, hence church office +

large hall on corner of Park Rd

and Cranley Gdns

• Create shared spaces between

nursery + day centre for elderly

people with memory loss

• Key anchor tenants x 2 –

essential for financial stability,

eg. accountants; nursery

• Improve the church with an

extension to south entrance –

use it for crèche and after

service coffee


project

TITLE :The Best Project Ever

target USER

GROUP(S) :

Children and young people;

mental health sufferers

key

ACTIVITIES:

Children’s drop-in centre,

children’s sacred space; drop-

in centre for mental health

sufferers

16

Key points:

• There are not as many young

people coming to HPC as there

used to be – renew the mission

focus with a space for them to

“hang out” (sofas, games,

homework area), music

rehearsal and recording spaces,

a large hall that can be sub-

divided for flexibility, and

dedicated sacred space

• Teaching with space – provide a

beautiful, uplifting, inviting

sacred space at a child scale

• Everyone is important - facilities

for mental health sufferers, the

elderly and homeless are also

important


project

TITLE :Intergenerational

target USER

GROUP(S) :

Elderly, children and teens

key

ACTIVITIES:

Elderly day-centre

Youth skills training (DIY etc)

Youth-elderly volunteering

17

Key points:

• Peace, Intergenerational

connections, Community,

Central cloister, Income

generation

• Make the hall and the church

belong together

• Pre-school shares some

activities and outdoor space

with elderly day-centre

• Intergenerational training and

volunteering programme: train

young people in workshop on

site so they can then do odd-

jobs for the elderly in their

homes.


18

Stage 02: Prioritizing and connecting spaces

OPEN FAITHIngredients:

1. Large hall – optimized for

performance. Church and

hall = 2 different

performance spaces

2. Small hall (x2) – with own

kitchen connecting into the

church

3. Parish office

4. Church shop/café (x2

5. Catering kitchen

6. Commercial units

7. Lobby: hospitality - social

space for after-service

coffee with own kitchen.

Welcoming view into this

space from Cranley Gdns

External spaces:

Central community ‘cloister’

for all users and open to the

public:

- outdoor space for children’s

facilities

- attractive planting to make

a beautiful space and as

additional draw for wedding

bookings

Private garden at rear for

church use

Connections: Covered walkway

around perimeter of courtyard

– link Park Road side to Cranley

Gardens to church entrance 19

MEETING POINTIngredients:

1. Large hall

2. Small hall (x2) – halls

stacked to echo height of

church: visual symmetry

3. Parish office

4. Meeting room – church

support spaces tucked

away at rear

5. Catering kitchen – for

simultaneity of use,

separate kitchens needed

for church and hall

6. A relaxed sacred space –

make worship visible on

Park Road and more

accessible to newcomers



coffee with own kitchen

What not to include:-

• A conference centre - HPC is

not on a tube line and would

need more parking

• Performing arts centre –

there’s one nearby, as well

as another church hall, and

St Mary’s Tower –

complement rather than

compete

• A café – plenty nearby

External spaces: central

community ‘cloister’

Connections: covered walkway

connects the church and halls

1.2.

6.

4.

2.

7.

5.3.

4.2.

1.

3.

5.

7. 4.

2. 6.

6.

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spacesStage 02: Prioritizing and connecting spaces

6.

THE BEST PROJECT EVERIngredients:

1. Large hall – Large hall,

subdividable

2. Small hall

3. - (parish office omitted)

4. Children’s sacred space

5. Music rooms (below)

6. Children’s drop-in centre

7. Mental health drop-in

centre

External spaces:

- Rear garden redesigned to

create a nice place for children

and other users

Connections:

- Community spaces open onto

rear garden

- Independent entrances

from front of site

- Internal connection from

church through the

community spaces

- Children’s sacred space

connects to church

20

5.

LET’S FRONT PARK RDIngredients:

1. Large hall, subdividable, in

most prominent part of site

2. Small hall (x2)

3. Parish office

4. Meeting room (x2)

5. Shared intergenerational

space: a centre for elderly

with dementia – share

activities with the nursery

6. Commercial units – anchor

tenants to secure financial

stability



coffee - with own kitchen

and WC. Additional uses eg.

crèche



Connections: covered walkway

around perimeter of courtyard

- all spaces open into courtyard

apart from lobby extension

which connects to church

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spaces

1.

6

4.

2. 5.

3.

7. 4.

6

2.

1.

4.

2.

5.

6. 7.

Stage 02: Prioritizing and connecting spaces

21

INTERGENERATIONAL

1. Large hall

2. Small hall (x2)

3. Parish office


5. Catering kitchen

6. Music rooms

7. Hotdesking hub

8. Intergenerational

workshop for training young

people so they can do odd jobs

for elderly people in their

homes.



- peaceful garden centre

- encounter with sacred space

- water feature, benches

- for use by everyone, including

residents, elderly and young

users of the community spaces

- activities: outdoor services,

eating lunch, after-service

socialising, etc

cloister security:

-passive vigilance, lighting, the

space being used and cared for

Connections: all spaces open

into the central courtyard

-a covered walkway connects

all spaces around edge of

courtyard

- Church connects to large hall

across courtyard

1.

2.3. 4.

4.

6.

5. 7.

2.

8.

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spacesStage 02: Prioritizing and connecting spaces

22

Stage 03: Street fronts

STAGE 3: Design the street fronts and decide who can share which spaces.

i.

ii.

23

MEETING POINT

On Park Rd:

1. Large hall

2. Small hall (x2)

6. Relaxed sacred space

-these buildings form an

acoustic barrier to protect the

interior of the site from noise

coming from Park Road

- Access to courtyard

On Cranley Gdns:

6. Relaxed sacred space


space

- Church main entrance


Interior of site:

3. Parish office

4. Meeting room (x 2)

5. Catering kitchen

Views

- View of church from Park Rd

and a glimpse inside

- view into church from

Cranley Gdns

- Views into the informal

worship space from the streets

- make church activities and

worship more visible but retain

some privacy inside the church

OPEN FAITH

On Park Rd:

4. Church shop/café (x2

6. Commercial units


On Cranley Gdns:

3. Parish office


space



Interior of site:

1. Large hall

2. Small hall (x2)

5. Catering kitchen

Views

- The key view is of the site

from Park Road, so the

proposal creates a strong

church presence there.

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spaces

1.2.

6.

4.

2.

7.

5.3.

4.2.

1.

3.

5.

7.

4.

4.

2. 6.

6.


24

LET’S FRONT PARK RD

On Park Rd:

1. Large hall, subdividable, in

most prominent part of site

3. Parish office

6. Commercial units


On Cranley Gdns:

2. Small hall (x2)



space



Interior of site:

2. Small hall (x2)

5. Day-centre for elderly with

dementia

Views

- The key views are of the site

from Park Road, so the

proposal creates a dynamic,

busy frontage

THE BEST PROJECT EVER

On Park Rd:

7. Mental health drop-in centre

On Cranley Gdns:


Interior of site:

1. Large hall – Large hall,

subdividable

2. Small hall

3. - (parish office omitted)

4. Children’s sacred space

5. Music rooms (below)

6. Children’s drop-in centre

Views

- Full view of all the buildings on

site from Cranley Gardens and

Park Road

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spaces

1.

4.

2.

5.

6. 7.

5.

1.

6

4.

2. 5.

3.

7. 4.

6

2.


25

9.

INTERGENERATIONAL

On Park Rd:

1. Large hall

2. Small hall (x2)

7. Hotdesking hub

9. Drop-off point for dial-a-ride


On Cranley Gdns:


1. Large hall


Interior of site:

3. Parish office

4. Meeting room (x 2)

5. Catering kitchen

6. Music rooms

8. Intergenerational workshop

Views

- View of church from Park

Road

- View into church from

Cranley Gdns - more light,

more glass at South

entrance

- Parish office commands

view of whole courtyard

and site entrances

community spaces

church spaces

commercial spaces

1.

2.3. 4.

4.

6.

5. 7.

2.

8.


26

Evaluation of the proposals

The evening workshop concluded with a round-up session

in which the groups moved from table to table receiving a

2-minute presentation from each group’s scribe about their

proposal. Participants then voted on which proposal they

thought was the best, giving the reasons for their choice.

INTERGENERATIONAL

5 votes

• Flexible spaces grouped

around a quiet centre

promoting a feeling of

community

• I like the idea of sightlines

and using a peaceful central

space to link the different

buildings

• Well thought out

• Fulfils the aims of HPC

60/60

OPEN FAITH

4 votes

• Openness to the

community

• Keeping the garden

• Cloister open to everyone

• Multi-purpose, versatile

spaces

• Multiple age space

• State of the art

multipurpose hall

LET’S FRONT PARK ROAD

4 votes

• Because it caters for all of

the community

• Excellent use of space

• Shows the church means

business

• I like the social

revolutionary aspect!

• Commercial space

• Balancing income with

community facilities

provision

• Strong church presence

THE BEST PROJECT EVER

0 votes

Images: Design Workshops

Workshop materials

Working through the tasks

Group work underway Recording ideas

27

One of the proposals Voting for the best proposal

Hornsey Parish Church 60/60 Community Engagement Report Executive Summary...

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